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Friday, April 8, 2011

SEA DOGS UNDECIDED ON 2015

SAINT JOHN – With the Saint John Sea Dogs’ dream of hosting the 2012 MasterCard Memorial Cup now dead, it is now time to move forward and try again.

The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League will host the tournament again in 2015, but it isn’t a sure thing that Saint John will be one of the bidders.

According to a Sea Dogs press release, team president Wayne “Long said he did not know if Saint John would put together the resources and support to mount another bid when the tournament returns to QMJHL territory in 2015.”

He said it's too early to say if the team will make another submission to host the tournament the next time it comes back to the QMJHL in 2015.

It would be tricky – not impossible – but tricky to build a dominate team for 2015. The core that has made up this year’s team and next year’s will be gone, and, assuming Saint John doesn’t go into major sell mode next season, would have just two seasons to work with before the 2014-15 campaign.

The other teams who were unsuccessful in their bids – the Halifax Mooseheads and the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles – are also undecided on their options for 2015, reports the Chronicle Herald.

“It’s too early to say,” Eagles president Paul MacDonald said.

“We’d have to see where we stood. A lot of energy and resources were put behind this bid so you have to be prudent and see exactly where we fit.”